gm
while switching to a less polluting automotive fuel, such as ethanol is a plus, there are some serious minuses that no-one is discussing.
in brazil, ethanol comes from sugarcane, but in the united states ethanol comes from corn. corn in itself isn't a problem. the problem is where this corn will come from and who controls it.
archer daniels midland is the corporation that basically controls the agricultural industry. they are a franken-foods behemoth and are most definitely the main force behind this push for enforced ethanol usage. i've read a few articles on genetically modified plants being a hazard to our natural environment. the amount of corn that needs to be grown to fuel this country's automobiles would be substantial and the environmental damage could, conceivably be on the level of global warming, if not worse. also, this would be a coup for adm as they would have much more power over regulation and legislation of the food industry as congress and the white house are essentially the bitch of these corporations. do we want this corporation being in charge of what we eat? essentially all we are doing is switching from one disaster to another.
the goal should be to get cars off the road, not switching fuels. public transportation should be what people are pushing, not the status quo.
cars are destructive in so many other ways than what come out of the tailpipe.
subtle things like roads being made from asphalt or concrete make cities much hotter in the summertime, making people turn on their air conditioners, which makes things even hotter and uses much more electricity from power plants and creates the need for more power plants and on and on and on.
i know it may sound kind of ridiculous to some, but it's a real issue. and it's only one tiny facet of the problem. maybe you've heard of the butterfly effect.
cars are the definitive factor in suburban sprawl, as we all know. public transportation and a higher density ratio are essential in curbing the gluttonous use of available land, land that is shrinking with each passing year.
cars are hazardous to animals, humans and their property. i find no benefit in the fact that they exist. they are nothing more than a nuisance, something i have to live in constant fear of, being a bicyclist and pedestrian.
gridlock is another problem. it's basically a wall of automobiles, full of seething humans, angry at the fact that they aren't going at least 75mph. i don't understand people who don't question this as a part of their daily lives.
i've got better things to than spend a sizable percentage of my life stuck in traffic.
more related goodies:
dear china
who cares how beautiful you are is when no-one can see you
acid rain
why is nobody considering pollution as the cause of california's droughts?
bright future for organic food?
want to eat organic, but can't afford it? just wait.
in cars
here in my car, i feel safest of all, i can lock all my doors, it's the only way to live, in cars
paper or plastic?
why we will never "save" the our planet.
cell phones are microwave ovens
cell phones may be a culprit in global warming. don't believe me?
